Pizza delivery driver robbed twice at gunpoint in just a few weeks

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, Mich., initially reported that a pizza delivery driver robbed at gunpoint twice in just a few weeks was being forced to pay back the stolen money back to his employer, but on Tuesday issued a correction to their original story.

Ronnie Asmar, Operations Director with STA Management (a Domino’s franchisee), told WXMI the driver was not forced to pay back the money.

According to the original report, this is the second time in a month that this particular driver, who is not being named at this time, has been robbed at gun point. The first time, he was hit across the face with a gun and required stitches. In that instance, the driver actually had to pay Domino’s back for getting robbed.

The correction issued on Tuesday reads:

We want to correct a story that we first told you about Monday night about a Domino’s pizza delivery employee who was robbed in Grand Rapids this week.

We initially reported that the delivery driver was asked to pay $20 back to the company after being robbed. Ronnie Asmar, Operations Director with STA Management (a Domino’s franchisee), tells us that company policy states that delivery drivers must pay money back to the company if they are robbed while carrying more than $20 during deliveries. He says drivers are instructed for their own safety to return cash to the store after each delivery when they are in possession of more than $20.

Although he confirms that this employee was carrying more than $20 at the time of the robbery, he says that this particular driver was not forced to pay money back. Although Asmar confirmed this company policy in an interview, he says they actually never ask drivers to pay money back after being robbed. While reporting this story, we inadvertently interpreted that company policy was enforced in each case, but later learned that that did not happen with the October 29th robbery in Grand Rapids.

We cleared this up with STA Management and apologize for the miscommunication in our reporting.

This is not the first time pizza delivery drivers have been targeted in West Michigan. Last month, three different employees were robbed in Wyoming. With no arrests in any of the cases, Grand Rapids Police plan on reaching out to other units to work together.

“As of right now our investigators are looking at what we have, all of the evidence and photographs and everything,” said Sgt. Terry Dixon from Grand Rapids Police. “I do expect that our investigators will probably reach out to Wyoming Police to see if we can collaborate on this case.”

Halloween is a very busy night for pizza deliveries, so Dixon recommends drivers stay vigilant and aware of their surroundings.

Asmar recommends customers turn their porch lights on to make drivers feel safer. Drivers are also required to conduct security calls before delivering to homes that they haven’t delivered to before or customers that order online.

If drivers fear for their safety, Domino’s says they should not deliver to that home and contact their managers for help.